Starting Water Exercise - Part Two

In continuation of the BEMA Schwimmflugel workout, which, by the way, are available in four progressive sizes at http://www.splashinternational.com/ for an amazing price of $19.95 per pair! (Look for BEMA flotation in our index). One thing I failed to mention is that leg exercises have the added benefit of toning your core abbdominal area as well as your gluteals.  So if you are sick of doing crunches to tone your abs, try the flugels to give you a creative alternative.

Put on some great music, from classical to rock (anything you like will work!) and exercise away! If you are unsure about the exercises you can do with flugels, we offer a laminated list of exercises to carry poolside.  If you want more information on the muscles you are engaging with each exercise, we offer an exercise manual with diagrammed exercises in layman's terms as well as exercise physiology descriptions.

So imagine being alone in the pool (or if you like to exercise in a group, some water enthusiast friends with similar goals), beautiful music playing while you become the premiere dancer (EVERYONE looks good doing these exercises!) in water...and yes, you guessed it, it's meditative too...calming to the nerves, soul and body - plus, when you're finished, you feel terrific, energized and ready to face the world!

Although I don't have scientific evidence to support thie following statement other than my own experience as well as my students - these flugel exercises create an extremely strong muscled hip joint because the exercises work all of the muscles that feed into the hip joint.  A preventative for falls, these exercises not only strengthen the hips, knees, ankles, and feet - all benefit from our exercises (for instance, there are eight different exercises specifically to build strength and flexibility in the feet!)

Getting Started in Water Exercise - Part One

I guess you could say it was a series of coincidences that made me fall for water exercise.  After the birth of my first baby, I participated in an experimental program to gauge post partum delivery recovery using water exercise as part of my recovery program (the other half was land exercise). Working with a physical therapist and learning water exercises that were from Allegra Kent's book called The Water Beauty Book, I was amazed by doing ballet type exercises in water using Bema Schwimmflugels on my feet, that I quickly recovered my prepregnancy strength and muscle tone.

How does it work?  Just the opposite of weights and gravity, flotation and resistance work the muscles exactly the opposite of land exercise. For example, lifting your leg up in a grande battement is easy, taking it back down to the pool bottom is the challenging part by engaging lower back muscles as well as the gluteal muscle group.  And that boils down to one tight tush, and a very strong and flexible back! I was forever hooked!